Device for the obscuring of windows



J. H. WOODWARD DEVICE FOR THE OBSCURING OF WINDOWS' May 8, 1945.,

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 28, 1942 JIKAZ fliiarne y 8, 1945- J. H. WOODWARD DEVICE FOR THE OBSCURING 0F WINDOWS Filed Dec. 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenior JMMfJ/IAR010W000WAIM flitorn y Patented May 8, 1945' 2,375,457- I I mzvror: FOR THE OBSCURING or i I I I WIN DOWS I I I James Harold Woodward, HeswallHills', England Application December 28, 1942,.seria1 1-io,,4ro,'as0 In Great Britain August .15, 19142 I Claims. (01. Ur-336) I I V common eyelet 19 at -the'centre of the window.

Thepresent invention relates to an improved deviceior theobscuring of windows. I .An object of this invention is to provide a .de-

, vice wherebya window may be obscured, and yet,

atother times be left unobscured.

According to the present invention .a curtain of greater width than the area to be obscured is fastened .along one edge to a side of the window, a fiex'iblelconnection being provided to raise .an-

other edge of the curtain to a point .on the win-,

dow frame spaced horizontally away from the edge of the curtain whereit .isattached to the window frame, so that when this connection is tensioned, the curtain-is drawn up from a position in which it lies in fan folds at one side of the window, to a position in which it will lie in a plane parallel with the window.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings,

' in which- Figure l is an outside elevation of one form of the device,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a corresponding sectional plan view,

Figure 4 is an outside elevation of a modified form of construction,

Figure 5 is a corresponding side sectional view,

Figure 6 is an outside elevation of another form of construction,

Figure 7 is a detail end sectional view of the pelmet showing a modified form of of the ends,

Figure 8 shows another form of construction.

Curtains I, 2,of light impervious material are secured along one vertical edge to the vertical sides of the window frame 3, in a light-tight manner by battens 4, 5, respectively, nailed or screwed to the window frame.

The top horizontal edges of the curtains I, 2, are attached to battens B, I, either by tacks or by slipping the battens into a hollow seam at this curtain edge. These battens are pivoted at one end by pivots 8, 9, to the window frame within a masking pelmet of wood, cloth or the like material I0.

Cords H, l2, are attached to eyelets l3, M, on the outer ends of battens 6, l, and then pass through eyelets on the window frame, or over pulleys [5, I6; preferably as shown spaced outwardly from the centre of the window. These cords then pass through guide eyelets, or over pulleys ll, l8, on the sides of the window and hang down each side of the window frame.

Alternatively they may be threaded through a attachment and hang down together as shown in dotted lines v,at .20.

Preferablythe width or each curtain l .2, is

greater than half the width of the window, and

the battens.4, 5, extend beyond the centre line of the window, so' that when these battens 4, 5, lie horizontally they, will cause the curtains, to overlap andefficiently obscurethe window. I

As shown in Figure ,7 distance pieces 32 may be threaded on mepmt'pms 19 to keep theslats or battens 6,, 1,,f1bm enga ment with one another as'the'se are raised. Further, instead'of eyelets l3, l4, the cords may pass through holes in the slats or battens 6, I, and be knotted as Where a window frame is of greater width than height, it will be preferred, as shown in' Figures 4 and 5, to arrange that the pivots2l,

22, for the battens 23, 24, do not lie horizontally but are inclined to the horizontal, so that when the battens 23, 24, lie vertically downwards they will clear the window ledge at their bottom ends, as shown in Figure 5. In certain cases it will be desired to use a singlecurtain as shown in Figure 6, where the horizontal batten 25 extends beyond one side of the window frame 26. A single cord 21 and guide eyelet or pulley 28 then suffices.

It. will in certain cases be desirable to weight the folds of the curtain do not catch up on one another, and the curtain wholly hangs in a vertical plane parallel with the window.

In the alternative arrangement of, Figure 8, the cords are connected to pins 34 at the inner top corner of the curtain, then knotted around made as an open box as shown in the drawings, H

to carry the said pivots, eyelets, pulleys or other parts. Furthermore the whole device may be mounted in a frame detachable from the window frame.

It will be obvious that the slats or battens 4, 5,

. 6,1, 23, 23, 25, may be made of a moulded plastic composition perforated for the passage 'of screws and operating cords.

In order to provide an arrangement which can be immediately mounted on windows of any width between set limits, the horizontal battens or slats 6, 1, may be made from two separate strips provided with perforations at even intervals secured together for instance. by small nuts and bolts passing "through the curtain gripping this between the slats, which slats can be displaced horizontally relatively to one another to form'ja. 1, j rigid element of variable length. v 1 I I declare that what I claim is:

-1..A, window obscuring device comprising a flexible curtain of greater vertical dimensions I than the height of the area to be obscured, means to attach one edge of said curtain to one sideof the window frame, and means to raise another edge of the said curtainfrom a position at'said side of the window frame to a position in which said curtain lies substantially parallel with the frame. v

2. A window obscuring device comprising a pair of flexible curtains together of greater area than n the window area to be obscured, means to'attach one edge of each curtain to respective opposite sides of -a window frame, and meansto raise an"- other edge of each curtain from a-position at a side of the window frame to ajposition in' which 30 of the window.

it lies parallel with the frame..,

3. A'window obscuring" device comprising a "flexible curtainpf greater area than half the window area to be obscured, a rigid batten attached to one side of the window frame and securing an edge of the curtain theretoin alighttight manner, a second rigid batten attached to another edge of said curtain, and means to displace the second batten with its attached curtain from a position in which said curtain is suspended chiefly from the upperend of the first batten to a position in which it lies parallel with'thewindow frame.

y 4. A window obscuring device comprising a flexible curtain of greater area than half the window area to be obscured, a batten attaching the curtain along a vertical edge to the window frame in a light-tight manner, asecond batten hinged about a horizontal axis and attached to a contiguous edge of the said curtain, and means to draw up the latter batten with its appendant curtain'from a position adjacent the vertical batten to a position at right anglesthereto.

5. A window obscuring device comprising a flexible curtain of greater area than half the win-- dow area to be obscured, means to attach one edge of said curtain to a side of the window frame, a

rigid batten attached to a contiguous edge of said curtain, and means to raise said curtain .by said batten toa position'substantially parallel to the window, so that its outer edge may overlap a similarly disposed curtainjat the opposite side JAMES HAROLD WOODWARDQ 

